In early November, the Volvo S60 was crowned Car of the Year in the Middle East at MEMA 2011, the Middle East Motor Awards. The jury praised the Volvo S60 as a well-balanced and stylish luxury sedan featuring a powerful turbocharged six-cylinder engine and leading-edge safety technology.

MEMA, which was held for the second consecutive year, is regarded as the largest, most prestigious and only independent award for the automotive industry in the region. It is organised by Expo Centre Sharjah in the United Arab Republic. The jury is made up of leading motoring journalists and professional racing drivers from ten countries, including Lebanon, Oman, Jordan, Egypt and Syria.

"It is very rewarding to receive the Car of the year in the Middle East. It once again confirms the success of the Volvo S60. It is a car that well matches the customers' demands in these markets which is key to our forward success in the region", says Wim Maes, President Volvo Cars Overseas Corporation.

The nomination and assessment process takes more than eight months during which all 19 jury members fill in individual result cards for the nominated cars. Among the parameters taken into account are design, safety features and value for money.

The jury also noted that the 2011 Volvo S60 was the first car launched in the Middle East with Volvo Pedestrian Detection - a safety system that actively searches for and spots pedestrians in the roadway and automatically applies the brakes to protect them.

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